Antoninianus of Gallienus 

Curator: This is an Antoninianus of Gallienus. Editor: It has such a worn, almost ghostly quality. I feel like I am looking at something ancient and barely there. Curator: It's made of billon, a debased silver alloy, and was likely produced during his reign as emperor, a time of significant political and economic stress for the Roman Empire. Editor: I see the portrait of Gallienus on one side. The other side seems to show a figure—perhaps an animal? It's a bull. I wonder about the choice of imagery in relation to the emperor's authority? Curator: Exactly. Coins like these were not just currency, but potent symbols of imperial power, used to project an image of stability, or communicate various values. It reflects the anxiety around a failing empire. Editor: Looking at this tiny object, so much history compressed into a small disc, allows us to reflect on the grand narratives of power and decline. Curator: Indeed, it's a palpable link to a tumultuous era and a great demonstration of state power being spread far and wide.